Five Hundred Arhats No.178 · The Venerable Wholesome Root | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Zen Buddhist Figure Painting | 100×50cm

Five Hundred Arhats · No.178 The Venerable Wholesome Root

'Wholesome root' is the trio of non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion—the roots of every wholesome dharma; deep roots bear lush fruit. The name marks one of deep wholesome roots, endowed with all three. The venerable looks genuine and grounded, possessing the three wholesome roots, a firm foundation of good, the solidity from which deep roots nurture every virtue.

Painted by Li Zongyi in the freehand Chinese ink (xieyi) tradition, the brushwork is fluent and the ink tones layered from dense to pale, capturing the arhat’s spirit in a few assured strokes. The blank paper itself breathes Zen; figure and spirit are one, blending monastic solemnity with the literati’s ease. Each of the Five Hundred Arhats bears its own name and practice, uniting faith, art and collectibility — an original, non-reproducible hand-painted work.

Size: approx. 100×50cm (4.5 square chi) | Traditional hand-painted Chinese ink Zen Buddhist figure painting | On paper